Boys ‘doing their thing’. That’s what this blog is all about – so long as the ‘thing’ is fitness-related and frequently ‘gay’. That’s what my first three books are all about, too (especially finding gay love, putting circus acts together and getting into mischief (and trouble)). Click on the interleaved cover images in this post for more information (or go on Amazon ‘cos the e-versions are there too).

People ‘doing their thing’ is what this vacation complex in Portugal where Dave and I are now working and living is all about. ‘Families to the right, adult gay/straight couples/groups to the left’. A clever design with similar but separated facilities for the two different halves. Naturism allowed, some areas specially allocated for that on the family side. ‘All in it together’ on the adult side.

Yes, a significant proportion of gay guys on the ‘adult’ side – it’s a perfect place to ‘relax’ with your loved one(s). Most of the visitors are also investors in the project, or guests of such investors, and it was ‘sold’ as a fitness centre, so the leisure facilities are a high priority to get right. We designed the gyms, and the first mistake was not to include punchbags for the young Russians (and others, to be fair). So we got them punchbags.

Then it was considered that there were not enough outdoor bars… for the ‘street-workout enthusiasts. So we’ve just had additional bars installed.

Yesterday, our radios came to life and asked to go up to the management office. ‘You don’t need to change – just come as you are, we know what you’re like!’ Meaning that they hardly expected us to be wearing shirts in this fitness environment – just the shorts or trunks which identify us as ‘staff’. Fair enough!

Six strong lads in the room, asking whether they could have a private session in the gym. For wrestling. Gay wrestling. And what often follows… hence ‘private’. Except that they’d like to advertise for a few more guys to join them – apparently they are all in a gay wrestling club which exists ‘underground’ somewhere in western Russia near Latvia.

This is not the first such request – for a ‘private’ space. The house rules do forbid any form of sexual encounter in a ‘public’ area, expecting people to retire to their apartments for such liaisons. Fair enough. But the issue for us would be ‘closing’ the gym, which for sure has matted areas for wrestling but which is open 24/7 to all visitors. Of course, there is plenty of grass on which folks can wrestle if they please…

…but these lads obviously want to go ‘the whole way’ at the end of their bouts.

Option 1 was offer them a couple of hours between 1am and 5am, which is the only time that the gym isn’t often in use – however the entry card system and the CCTV do reveal occasional use by insomniacs.

Management comes up with an ingenious short-term idea – use the stage of the auditorium on days when there is no rehearsal going on in the daytime or an evening when there is no show. The stage floor is matted and there is room for four bouts to go on simultaneously. Access to the auditorium is only available to guests when shows are on (four evenings a week). However, they think that there should be a payment, at least for the inconvenience and for any clearing up that needs to be done after, especially if oil gets used. To our surprise the lads agree, saying they’ll try to find six more guys up for it and would €200 cover it for three hours? These Russians are not short of a few Euros…

And then the managers look at Dave and I and say ‘can you supervise?’ Absolutely, yes we can! In fact, we exchange a look which says ‘…and we’ll take part, too!’ Just like the old days in the private gym in Tennessee. Especially if the hours count as working hours!!

And separately, one of the management team suggests – ‘How about we get a small marquee and put a fitness floor inside it: there’s space, and anyone can ‘hire’ time in it?’ Everyone agrees. ‘Get on the case, lads!’ And so we are!

There’s our model – an army-style pop-up gym. Sourcing it in the Algarve may be a challenge, but we can get something sent from pretty much anywhere in Europe. And the ‘ring’ which some boxers have asked for could go in there too, if funding allows…

We love this place – it seems too good to be true. And we owe our placement to my old mate Roger who has been involved somehow in moving money around to make it happen. I don’t want to know how that’s done – better not to ask.

So there we are. ‘Happy vacationers’, most (but not all) of them fitness enthusiasts, generally they like our facilities for training…

…not to mention the pools…

… the food, the bars and, of course, relatively easy access to the beach in what this seems this summer so far to be perpetual sun!

There was no problem getting four more gay lads to join the wrestle group, which we insisted was limited to twelve including ourselves. We chipped in for the fee of course – been missing this stuff. We operated the session at 7am this morning, organised just like we used to back in Oak Ridge – seven minute sessions with everyone wrestling everyone else in turn. Two points for a win, one for a draw… eventually you have a clear winner on points and a clear loser. Dave and I had made it clear that we were not going to go the full monty in terms of ‘gay engagement’, whatever anyone else chose to do. We have rules about that – even if the guys with whom we do share are presently 4000 miles away.

We didn’t do awfully well against these guys. Definitely out of wrestle practice. Indeed (red face) I came last, and Dave just three places higher. Dave is always a better wrestler than me anyway. Top guy got well ‘serviced’ by his friends, and as for me… Bukkake Boy. Oh well! Another session is planned for later in the week.

I can see that we’ll be formally asked to take on organising “gay entertainment” next. That wasn’t on the original job description, but… … … we’re here to look after the ‘hot and naked’ clientele…

… as well as more obvious jobs relating to personal training and encouraging the younger set to learn some acrobatics…

Before we get into the usual tailpiece of random fitness pictures, one more remark on the ‘Doing Their Thing’ theme. Dave walked into the ‘adult’ gym at 7am yesterday morning to find two topless ladies ‘hard at work’ on one of the benches – not lifting weights, but rather strongly ‘into’ each other, massaging each others breasts, intensely kissing and oblivious to anyone else. He had to (politely) remind them that some affairs were not really meant to take place in the public areas, and got a mouthful of invective in response in a language he could not identify. He’s ‘saved’ the CCTV image, just in case they decide to complain about him. You see, its not just us gay guys that get lost ‘in the moment’…

…or like doing stuff ‘with our kit off’…

A couple of sauna pictures next – another great facility they have here:

…what is he doing with those apples??

And for the final four today – just ‘hot people’…

Stop Press: final typesetting proof of ‘Let The Future Find Me’ has just arrived!!

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About tonycavanagh

Born Northampton UK; school Oxford UK and Oak Ridge Tennessee, where I met my wonderful partner Dave, also from UK. Oak Ridge is our main training base for acrobatics and circus stuff, but we also established a base in Wales (UK) to serve us when we are working in Europe. Our 'story', of finding gay love, learning the acrobatics trade and then of how we got shot at during our show (and worse was to follow - just to prove that the risks of being an acrobat are not always the most obvious ones!) are now available in my three books 'Loving the Boy', 'The Power of Love' and 'Against All Odds'. Links available on most blog posts. Actually, waiting for the imminent arrival of the first printed copies was far scarier than anything we do in performance. A fourth book - not about us but exploring the sadness of a gay Native American boy denied his true identity - is currently with an agent for evaluation. watch for 'Let The Future Find Me' in due time. And now to book five... another boy, another quest... seems its always boys...

3 Responses to ‘Doing Their Thing’

Moscow. I think! If it becomes easier for general usage, this blog will explain it quickly! As for establishing one in US, why not – although Russia/US relations are a bit ‘iffy’ right now… but if you have investors willing to pay for the ‘privileges’ of such a vacation zone, go for it!